tmcfarla wrote:I just keep about 10 feet of rope and a carabiner in my kite bag and tie it to whatever sturdy thing is convenient, so far that hasn't failed (many launches and landings in winds from about 12 to 35 knots). If I can't find anything sturdy, I just fill my kite bag with some sand or rocks.

Self launching in extremely gusty winds is questionable (although, so is kitesurfing) and I can definitely imagine problems with tether launching in strong gusty winds, but it is probably safer than the alternative self launch methods that most people use.

agree and 2 more things to add:

you can easily move from safe to overly safe/scared so know what you are getting into but do get into it and trust yourself and knowledge and experience and do not worry so much about what the manufactures (legal dept) think

self launching might be safer as it means there is only one idiot attached to the kite instead of two

A lot of the other replies are DIY stuff and whining that could be made in another thread IMO

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Back to the topic:

I have none of above, but having loads of experience with all kinds of tethered launches (as we all do that without exception around here, no matter how many we are out), I would say that the KiteBuddy looks to work for softer sand, whereas the KiteAnchor could be good for harder sand or even soft grass areas - like Mark said.

So both having slightly different usage area, depending on surface

My only concern about both of them, and especially with the KiteBuddy, would be :
Why is the line to the carabiner so short ?

It would require that you almost lay down (at least go on your knees), to put it into the CL

We always have at least 1½ or a couple of meters from the stake to the carabiner, as it makes it both faster, and easier to launch/land, and less stress on the anchor
You can still bend down if you want minimal "pull up" stress on the anchor - and it is way easier to grab the carabiner and put into the CL if the line is longer - and safer as you can be oriented towards the kite all the time easily, to keep an eye on everything/everyone.

Have sometimes had to tie my setup around something big low on the ground, so my line becomes "short" (but not as short as the KiteBuddy)
And what a hazzle it was, to get in/out now
Remember - you typically do this many times per session/day

So a short carabiner line would not be my choice, and I really wonder why it is made like that ?

I can see one reason though - that if you are forced to bend down, you would probably not put stress on the stake yourself - whereas if a longer line, you could make the mistake of pulling "up" much easier...

Just my 2 cents about these - think they are for a slightly different ground/surface, but apart from the short lines which is not my cup of tea, they seem fine both of them, and alternatively both can be used together in really soft ground.

It didn't work because it didn't screw into the ground, it dug a hole into the ground. That makes a big difference in how it holds. The thing I bought was useless. It's all to do with the angles of the disc.
Whoever made the one I bought had just taken a flat disc, cut a slot from the centre to the outer edge and bashed it into a spiral and welded it on. That doesn't work properly.

Just pointing out that there is a bit of science to getting the spiral shape correct or it wont screw into the ground properly.
This is just my guess, but I think one that works properly would always have the plate horizontal from the centre to the outer edge as it spiraled up the shaft.

Been kiting almost 8 yrs,,, Have tried all types anchors and almost always kite alone when I go to beach,,,I use Kite Anchor,, Have tried almost all others and wont risk loosing kite or hurting someone else on beach,,it is all Galvanized now and great handle..dosnt rust and penetrates deep into the soil for holding power..its a deal at any price

If you hook your kite to an immovable object for a tethered launch and the launch goes bad and kite flies crazy through the power zone the load generated on your gear could potentially be far greater than the loads the kite was designed to withstand. So if the kite manufacturers were to advocate tethered launch method they may have to re-design their kites to handle potentially higher loads... may mean stronger lines, heavier webbing etc etc... cost goes up.

If I was a manufacturer I would keep tight lipped about tethered launches too

Decide which anchor you like and then buy two. Set two anchors. Chicken loop goes to first anchor and safety release goes to the second anchor. If the first anchor lets go, the second anchor flags the kite. Saved my kite once or twice.